art shows & news

Count on the Punch Gallery to do something different for fundraising. Instead of taking the traditional route of silent auctions and car washes and the like, the good folks behind the Punch Gallery are doing a “Winner Takes All” fundraiser. What that means: one lucky winner will win the entire October collection of works on display at the gallery. The show starts on First Thursday, aka tonight.

The contest is limited to 1,000 entries, so it’s not impossible to win, and there are three methods of entry. Two cost money. One doesn’t.

You can donate $10 to the gallery online via PayPal to receive an entry. You can stop by the gallery, check out the works, and donate $10 to receive an entry. You can receive one FREE entry by doing an original drawing and mailing it to the good folks of Punch Gallery (see complete details on their website at http://www.punchgallery.org/sweepstakes/#).

One winner will receive thirteen original works, and the prize will be awarded in a random drawing. An approximate value of $7,157.00! Holy shit!

Here are some of the things YOU might be able to win:

Howard Barlow’s From Good Stock features a cute little ol’ bunny rabbit on a rifle stock. How bout that for a great addition to your living room wall?

Continuing on with the Western theme, Justin Colt Beckman’s Untitled (John Wayne) features a digital collage of the artist’s face on a found photo.

Unicörn Fledermäus is a watercolor, pencil, and magic rendition of a fictional animal created by Justin Gibbens.

And sure, all the works are certainly thematically divergent, but they all match very well… making a potentialy great suite of additions to your home, your office, your whatever. Visit their website to find out more!

http://www.punchgallery.org/sweepstakes/#
www.beckman.ws
www.justingibbens.com

Seattle-based artist Ego is one of the most technically-proficient street artists the city has seen as of late.

Nonetheless, one might be able to argue that Ego has defined his style of dark, detailed renderings of skully things and creepers so well that one can kind of expect more or less what to see at one of his solo shows. Not so, kids!

His upcoming solo show at the new Flatcolor Gallery may feature pieces containing similar subject matter — after all, artists draw about what they like — but the style will feature a lighter color palette and an altogether different feel.

It’s guaranteed to be a great show, though; every time I see one of Ego’s pieces in a group show, I pretty much wish all the other pieces in the show would be replaced by his pieces because Ego’s attention to detail is simply astounding (I’d hope so; the dude’s a tattoo artist, after all). But as that fantasy has never become a reality, it’s exciting to see that he’ll be getting a show all to himself! Finally!

Check out the opening reception on October 1st, 2009 from 5:00pm to 9:00pm, or view it for the whole month of October.

lordego1.deviantart.com
www.flatcolor.com

Sometimes I’ll come across artwork online that makes me gasp aloud because it’s simply so well-executed — but most of all, shockingly unexpected.

The above sculptures by Pacific Northwest native Scott Fife, now on display at the Platform Gallery, elicited just such a reaction from me. Given the show’s name, American Beauty, Fife’s work is just about the last thing I would have expected.

Part of the appeal of the sculptures is that they are reminiscent to me of drawings set on a bed of watercolor, only come to three-dimensional life. It makes sense, when one takes into account Fife’s painting abilities as well (evident in the T. Rx (study) in the image above, to the left of the sculpture). Take their size into account as well — with T. Rex at 64″H x 41″W x 64″D and Elvis at 42″H x 24″W x 30″D — and the pieces become even more astounding.

Drywall screws, archival cardboard, and glue, when used by Fife, make sculpture with these uncommon items seem easy.

On display now through October 10th, 2009.

www.platformgallery.com

One of Seattle’s newest galleries, Flatcolor Gallery, will be holding a monthly drawing event entitled Drum of the Draw, starting Saturday, August 22nd, from 5:00pm to 8:00pm.

Drum of the Draw will be a live drawing event that brings artists into a public forum where passerbyers can witness works of art from beginning to end.

August’s event features well-known local artists like Joe McSween (2H), Warren Dykeman, Robert Hardgrave, Amy Huddleston, Sean Hurley, Jesse LeDoux, Parskid, Darin Shuler.

The event is the conception of artist Robert Hardgrave, who saw it as an idea to create an intimate art event that bridges the relationship between artists and the community. “I have always enjoyed watching others draw. This sort of event allows folks to take a peek at the creative process, something which is normally inaccessible.” says Hardgrave.

Drawings created during the event will be for sale from 8:00pm to 9:00pm, with low prices ranging from $40 to $200. It will truly be an event that tears down the walls and brings artists face-to-face with a curious community.

www.flatcolor.com
www.flatcolor.com/draw/
www.myspace.com/2hatred
www.warrendykeman.com
www.farmerbobsfarm.com
www.amyhuddleston.com
www.myspace.com/seanedwardhurley
www.ledouxville.com
www.parskid.com
www.darinshuler.com

Boston’s photographer Eirik Johnson captures images of decay in a way that makes them look not just gorgeous in their grunge, but truly sophisticated and somehow even positive. He has some pieces permanently in numerous institutions, including the Museum of Contemporary Photography, the National Fulbright Foundation, and the Joseph and Elaine Monsen Collection.

Although the reception for his current solo show at the G. Gibson Gallery is now in the past, the exhibit will be on display until May 30th, and will dive into the slightly dirty, wholly fascinating world of logging, as set in various regions throughout the Pacific Northwest.

www.eirikjohnson.com
www.ggibsongallery.com

Photographer Lydia Panas will have an opening at Seattle’s Wall Space Gallery starting April 26th! The exhibit will show off some pieces from her Garden Series, with a piece pictured above. Panas’ works center around the lives of her family, friends, and acquaintances; she intends to capture humanity and emotion through her works, and it shows.

www.lydiapanas.com
www.wallspaceseattle.com

Brennan Coyle is one of the newest additions to Seattle’s burgeoning street art scene, and his first solo show is on display now at the Connection (former Snowboard Connection) near the Seattle waterfront. The show features a hodge-podge of drawings, paintings, and cut skateboard decks, all modestly priced to sell and to appeal to the fickle Seattle art buyer.

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH HIM HERE.
(It’s his first interview, ever.)

www.snowboardconnection.com

Starting tomorrow at the Catherine Person Gallery is a group show called “High Rise,” featuring the most basic of artistic types — drawings.

Joseph Pentheroudakis painstakingly uses dots of pen and sumi ink to create this abstract structure.

In Untitled (080501), Barry Maxwell uses graphite and acrylic inks to create a layered, geode-type structure on a stained background.

www.catherinepersongallery.com
www.jpentheroudakis.com
www.barrymaxwell.com

For four more days, the works of Paula Stokes will be on display at the Shift Studio! A glass artist as well as printmaker based in Seattle, Stokes likes to explore human nature and psychology in her pieces, using the relationships among line, color, form, and texture in bold and interesting ways.

www.paulastokes.com
www.shiftstudio.org

Occasionally, I’ll go with my mother to an art gallery, and she’ll be completely disgusted and confused by the existence of contemporary art pieces. Occasionally, I’ll agree with her, but when it comes to pieces like this one, by Miki Lee, one has to look beyond the basics and into the techniques. This piece was created entirely using gouache on paper, and anyone who has ever worked with gouache knows that gouache is a difficult medium to work with, and that even the simplest of layers requires a boatload of patience. With that in mind, pieces like this, that look like perhaps two hours of work with stylized scissors and twelve sheets of construction paper, start to become respectable. Beneath the looks lies proficiency and technicalities that should count for something.

Miki Lee’s works are now on display at the Davidson Galleries in Seattle until March 28th. Go quick!

www.mikileeart.com
www.davidsongalleries.com